Since the early seventies various devices and methods have been devised for providing a tracheostomy tube so that a patient whose airway is otherwise blocked may continue to breathe. Such devices, were generally intended only for use with a patient who is not breathing spontaneously and are not intended for the long-term oxygen supplementation therapy for chronic lung disease. The use of such tubes had been restricted medically to emergency situations where the patient would otherwise suffocate due to the blockage of the airway. Such emergency tracheotomy tubes were not intended for long-term oxygen supplementation therapy after the airway blockage is removed.
On the basis of this known practice, EP 207 099 discloses a transtracheal system and method for supplying of supplemental oxygen to patient through a transtracheal catheter instead of commonly used devices such as nasal cannulas.
This procedure even if performable only on a selected number of patients, allows better psychological acceptance of the treatment, better quality of life and reduced consumption of oxygen.
Nevertheless, known systems for transtracheal administration of supplemental oxygen through a transtracheal catheter have some drawbacks.
For example, some of these drawbacks are related to:                frequent dislodgements of the catheter;        risk of kinking of the catheter near the stoma;        risk that the catheter tip comes into contact with the posterior wall of the trachea, causing it injuries;        leakage of oxygen from the stoma to the environment.        
It is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks above.